University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 11
6:30 PM
University of Minnesota
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Minnesota Gophers
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Gophers Fall in 8-7 Defeat to Air Force
3/11/2022 9:33:00 PM | Baseball
Minnesota held a 5-1 lead heading into the seventh inning
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota opened up its three game series against Air Force with an 8-7 defeat on Friday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Junior right-hander Sam Ireland started on the mound for Minnesota, striking out nine in 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run.
Minnesota strung together 10 hits as a team, getting a pair from Jack Kelly and Andrew Wilhite and one each from six others.
The Gophers scored the first run of the game with consecutive hits by Chase Stanke and Jack Kelly in the first inning. Stanke singled up the middle with two outs and Kelly drove him home with a double into the right center gap.
Most of the offensive damage was done in the third inning. A leadoff single by Jake Larson was followed by a bunt single from Wilhite. A perfectly placed line drive down the left field line by Brett Bateman scored Larson and advanced Wilhite to third. Wilhite would score on an RBI groundout from Stanke and a sacrifice fly from Kelly plated Bateman to put the 'U' up 4-0.
Wilhite would score again in the bottom of the fifth inning. He started the frame with a single up the middle. After Bateman drew a walk, a wild pitch in Stanke's at bat and a poor throw down to second resulted in Wilhite coming around to score, giving the home team a 5-0 advantage.
After cruising through five innings and getting the leadoff hitter to fly out to start the sixth, Ireland got into a bit of trouble. He left with one out in the sixth after consecutive singles left men on first and third with one out. Left-hander Jack Liffrig came in, inducing a fly out to right (sac fly) and striking out the next hitter looking.
Despite being held to just three hits and one run through six innings, the Falcons broke through in the top of the seventh with a five-hit, five-run inning. After the leadoff hitter struck out to begin the inning, AFA loaded the bases with one out off a pair of singles and a hit by pitch. A fielder's choice that tallied the second out scored the first run of the inning. Three consecutive singles then plated four more runs to give the visitors a 6-5 lead.
AFA would score two more in the top of the eighth on a two run single to go up 8-5.
Minnesota refused to go quietly into the night, however. Kelly started the inning with an infield single. With one out, Ronald Sweeny doubled off the wall in right field, advancing Kelly to third. A wild pitch would plate Kelly while Sweeny advanced to third. Sweeny would later score on an RBI groundout from Otto Grimm as the Gophers closed the gap to one at 8-7. Freshman Brady Counsell doubled with two outs for his first collegiate hit, but was stranded on second base.
The Gophers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to end the ballgame.
UP NEXT
Minnesota and Air Force are set to square off in game two of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Junior right-hander Sam Ireland started on the mound for Minnesota, striking out nine in 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run.
Minnesota strung together 10 hits as a team, getting a pair from Jack Kelly and Andrew Wilhite and one each from six others.
The Gophers scored the first run of the game with consecutive hits by Chase Stanke and Jack Kelly in the first inning. Stanke singled up the middle with two outs and Kelly drove him home with a double into the right center gap.
Most of the offensive damage was done in the third inning. A leadoff single by Jake Larson was followed by a bunt single from Wilhite. A perfectly placed line drive down the left field line by Brett Bateman scored Larson and advanced Wilhite to third. Wilhite would score on an RBI groundout from Stanke and a sacrifice fly from Kelly plated Bateman to put the 'U' up 4-0.
Wilhite would score again in the bottom of the fifth inning. He started the frame with a single up the middle. After Bateman drew a walk, a wild pitch in Stanke's at bat and a poor throw down to second resulted in Wilhite coming around to score, giving the home team a 5-0 advantage.
After cruising through five innings and getting the leadoff hitter to fly out to start the sixth, Ireland got into a bit of trouble. He left with one out in the sixth after consecutive singles left men on first and third with one out. Left-hander Jack Liffrig came in, inducing a fly out to right (sac fly) and striking out the next hitter looking.
Despite being held to just three hits and one run through six innings, the Falcons broke through in the top of the seventh with a five-hit, five-run inning. After the leadoff hitter struck out to begin the inning, AFA loaded the bases with one out off a pair of singles and a hit by pitch. A fielder's choice that tallied the second out scored the first run of the inning. Three consecutive singles then plated four more runs to give the visitors a 6-5 lead.
AFA would score two more in the top of the eighth on a two run single to go up 8-5.
Minnesota refused to go quietly into the night, however. Kelly started the inning with an infield single. With one out, Ronald Sweeny doubled off the wall in right field, advancing Kelly to third. A wild pitch would plate Kelly while Sweeny advanced to third. Sweeny would later score on an RBI groundout from Otto Grimm as the Gophers closed the gap to one at 8-7. Freshman Brady Counsell doubled with two outs for his first collegiate hit, but was stranded on second base.
The Gophers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to end the ballgame.
UP NEXT
Minnesota and Air Force are set to square off in game two of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SHIM (2-1)
L: Liffrig, Jack (1-2)
S: GEHRING (4)
Batting:
2B: COVIN 1 ; BOOKER 1
RBI: COVIN 1 ; KULASINGAM 3 ; TAMIYA 3 ; BOOKER 1
SF: KULASINGAM 1
Base Running:
RUNS: COVIN 1 ; THOMPSON 1 ; GARCIA 1 ; THOMASON 2 ; TAMIYA 1 ; BOOKER 2
SB: COVIN 1 ; THOMASON 1 ; TAMIYA 1
HBP: GREIVING 1 ; JOE 1
Batting:
2B: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1 ; Counsell, Brady 1
RBI: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1 ; Kelly, Jack 2 ; Grimm, Otto 1
SF: Kelly, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilhite, Andrew 2 ; Bateman, Brett 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1 ; Larson, Jake 1
HBP: Merila, Boston 1
PO: Bork, Kyle 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
rf/3b
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC/OF
/ Baseball
3B
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
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